1 March 2009

If you are a regular reader of Stephanie's over at Dispensing Happiness you will know about her Blog Party event. Blog Party is in it's third year, and has survived the test of time. This time around she is revisiting Brunch!!!! She says, "I rather firmly believe that while breakfast foods are gifts from the gods themselves, the hour at which we're to consume them is a cruel & evil joke. I grew up in a house that saw nothing wrong with serving pancakes & sausage for dinner. For March, take all your favorite breakfast & brunch recipes, cut them down to (bite) size, mix up your favorite lazy Sunday drinks, and join the party!

Brunch or bruncheon is a combination of breakfast and lunch. It is served in a variety of restaurants and wineries in my area. So where did the term come from? The term is a portmanteau of breakfast and lunch. I think it is common in every country around the world on a Sunday morning. For holidays like Easter and Mother's Day it is usually spread out over the weekend. According to Punch magazine, the term "brunch" was introduced in Britain around 1896 by Hunter's Weekly. Other sources claim that the term was invented by New York Morning Sun reporter Frank Ward O'Malley based on the typical mid-day eating habits of a newspaper reporter.

Depending on where you are Brunch involves all the standard breakfast foods, however, it can include almost any other type of food imaginable that would be served throughout the day. Buffets may have quiche, large roasts, cold seafood like shrimp, and here in British Columbia whole salmon, salads, soups, vegetable dishes, many types of breadstuffs, and desserts of every kind !!! This mid day meal is for those of us who don't want to be up at the break of dawn and would like to laze around a little longer and still enjoy breakfast out. I must admit I rarely head out for brunch these days of only because they serve way too much delicious and tempting foods. Who can resist the temptation to eat all of that!!!!

One of my favourite Brunches would be dim sum which is a popular meal in Chinese restaurants worldwide.

For Brunch I am bringing my soon to be famous Baby Spinach, Ricotta and Feta Quiches. The recipe calls for you to bake the quiche in one pan, but I chose to prepare it in individual size portions. The method for cutting the filo for individual portions is below.

Preheat oven to 350°C. Brush a shallow 23cm (base measurement) fluted flan tin with removable base with melted butter. With your hands squeeze the liquid from the spinach. Chop. In a medium bowl, using electric beaters, beat the ricotta until almost smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until it is all well combined. Add the chopped spinach, spring onions, pepper and 1/2 the feta Mix well with a wooden spoon until well combined.

Lay 1 sheet of filo on a flat surface. Place 1- 1/2 tbs of oil in a small dish. Brush filo with a little oil, sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper. Place another sheet of filo on top and brush with oil again. Repeat this process with remaining filo adding cracked black pepper lightly between each layer. Brush top sheet lightly with oil. Place layered filo in greased tin and trim the excess.

Spoon spinach mixture into pastry-lined tin and smooth the surface. Sprinkle with the remaining feta and Parmesan. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until filling is golden.

Remove quiche from pan, cut into wedges and serve.

Serves 4

Alternate Method:

For the Pastry Cups

6 - 8 sheets Filo
¼ cup Butter
freshly ground black pepper

Lay out a sheet of filo pastry and brush with some melted butter, sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Lay a second sheet of filo over the first and brush the top with a bit more butter. Cut into 6 equal sized squares. Stack 3 squares, one on top of the other, with the corners slightly offset, forming a star shape and press into the cup of a large muffin pan. Repeat for the other 3 squares and then repeat the whole process with two more sheets of filo, for a total of 6 cups. Add filling, tip with remaining feta and sprinkle each with Parmesan. Bake in 325F oven until they are golden and crisp, about 15 - 20 minutes, and then gently remove from the muffin pan. Allow to cool to room temperature and serve.

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison

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My blog More Than Burnt Toast has been my passion for almost 9 years and has evolved with me over time as I have gained confidence in the kitchen. Follow my travels through Italy and Greece one recipe at a time, upcoming cooking classes at local Okanagan wineries and restaurants, as well as daily experimentation in my own kitchen. Every day we should be excited about what we are eating even if it just means making use of a wonderful find at our local farmers market. I look forward to getting to know you.